Queens, NY - From Living at Ikea for a Week to 30 Days On a Plane

Queens, NY - It’s a hell trip in the heavens for a Queens man who hatched a bizarre plan that he thinks will finally cure his fear of flying.

Mark Malkoff said he is going to stay on an airplane for an entire month, crisscrossing the country on various flights. His journey begins today at La Guardia with a two-hour flight to Atlanta, followed by San Francisco, then back to Atlanta. On some days, he’ll fly as many as 12 times a day, al though he’ll average about five or six, he said.

And when everyone takes off, he’ll stay on—alone—and sleep onboard.

“The only time I might get off is if I have to switch planes. Maybe I’ll go on the tarmac,” he said.

The Astoria man plans to video tape his above-ground odyssey, as well as live-blog throughout his flights.

To prep for his monthlong trip, Malkoff said he’s hit up some professionals to ask their advice.
“I’ve been talking to people like airline attendants, and they say breathe, shut your eyes and think tranquil thoughts,” said Malkoff.

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Easier said than done.
“I flew with my wife recently—I gripped my wife’s hand so hard it was blue,” he said.

His plan to beat what he calls “an irrational fear” began about a year and a half ago. He met with brass at Airtran, a low-cost airline that caters to business travelers, who agreed to let him video his journey.

Malkoff—a comedian, writer and filmmaker who made headlines last year for living in an Ikea for a week—refused to say if the airline was paying him.